The TV played quietly in the background, my eyes just watched the moving images because I cared less about the show.

I ended up wearing his shirt with no panties. I’m irritated that I had to walk around with nothing beneath.

Damn him.

I heard the door unlock, and I flew off the bed, grabbed the pillow, and was ready to launch it.

"Hey sis!"

"Luca?"

He closed the door behind him.

"How are you?"

I quickly dropped the pillow. "Fine!"

"I brought lunch!" He set the tray on the table. "So get eating because I have to stay until you finish that. Big bro’s orders."

"Where’s Zade?"

"Dunno. Elliot just passed the message so..."

I walked closer and eyed the meal, the aroma making my mouth water. Damn, that looks good!

"What about Coco and Boba?"

"They are great! I would have brought them, but they were sleeping. They really sleep a lot."

"Yes, they do."

"You okay?" he asked, worried. "Anywhere hurting. Dr. Keller has already examined you, right?"

"Seems like what happened is not much of a secret, is it?"

"Nope. But..." He leaned close to whisper. "Sorry for tossing my um... you know, at you. I didn’t know it was you behind the tree. Believe me."

"That was you?!" I yelled.

He pressed his palms together in a plea. "Please don’t tell my brother, he’s gonna kill me if he finds out!"

I crossed my arms. "Alright, I won’t."

He released a sigh of relief, and my lips curled in a smirk.

"Under one condition."

"Huh? But you just said—"

"Tell me what you were doing with Ian’s corpse."

"Documenting." He shrugged like it was no biggie.

Who documents a corpse?

Only forensics does that kind of shit, and he was clearly not one. Then again, I hadn’t forgotten the family I was married into.

"Did a bear kill him?"

Luca’s jaw dropped before he scratched the back of his head nervously. "I can’t."

"I see... then I guess the moment Zade comes back, I’m gonna tell him—"

"Sis!"

"Pick your poison."

"Fine!" he growled. "A bear didn’t kill him."

"Then what did?" I asked because clearly it had to be a ’what’. After all, there was no way a human being could have done something as monstrous as that.

I sighed. What am I even saying? I literally live with men who are capable of that sort of thing.

"Trust me, Sis, I can’t say, at least not right now?"

"Why?"

Luca mumbled something under his breath as he walked to the bed and grabbed the remote. He switched the channel to the news.

"It’s been on the news since yesterday. The cops were actually here. To, you know, get the bodies."

"Is that...?" I asked with wide eyes when I saw the camera spanning out. That’s the Salvero estate!

"Yep."

I faced Luca demanding an explanation. "Why are the cops involved? I thought something like this would be handled internally, and not plastered for the whole city to see."

Even my sister’s death was never made public. To the rest of Hightower City, she died of an illness. Growing up, I learned that the mafia handled its own problems.

But this was just...!

I whipped my head toward the TV as the newscaster’s voice filled the room.

"Authorities have officially ruled the incident a tragic bear attack that occurred during a hunting excursion on the Salvero family’s private hunting grounds. Among the victims was Lisa Wade, personal secretary to Zayden Salvero, CEO of Monarch Group. Ian and Noelle Russo, owners of Russo Palace, Hightower’s most prestigious auction houses, who lost their lives in the attack."

What the—!

"Anastasia Salvero, the wife of the prominent businessman, remains under medical supervision as she recovers from the ordeal."

Noelle’s dead, too?!

"Luca?" I found my voice.

"Yes, sis?"

I faced him, still in a little shock. "The whole thing was labelled a bear attack?"

"Yes! Except you weren’t supposed to be involved, and that woman called Lisa or whatever her name was. You should have stayed with your husband, Sis."

Is that why Zade told me not to leave his side? Did he know something was gonna happen to the Russos?

He was trying to protect me. Mentally saying that felt like all kinds of wrong. I mean, we’re talking about the same man who practically threw me at the jaws of danger at the Night Chamber—our first outing together.

"Please don’t ask me anymore—"

"What about Gabriel? The news didn’t mention him," I said.

"He’s alive and well."

I could only imagine how he felt right now. Losing both parents at the same time.

"Why did the Russo’ join the hunt in the first place?" I asked.

"Ugh! Please don’t."

I gave him a warning look, and he caved.

"Weeks ago, the Russos notified us of their visit."

I crossed my arms. "Okay?"

"You know how it is, all that business stuff or whatever."

"So it was like a business meeting?"

"Yes, that!" He pointed out. "Elliot could have explained, but now I have to, against my will."

I rolled my eyes. "Don’t be so dramatic. Now carry on."

He sighed. "Ian was looking for a buyer for their auction houses, so Zade was the best person for it. You know the Monarch Group is like an investment firm. They had business to talk about."

I nodded, but then I paused. "Wait. A buyer for the auction house?"

"Yep!"

"Were they overrun by debts?"

"Nope!"

"Then why would Ian wanna sell it? Isn’t Gabriel the heir or something?" I reasoned.

"Ian and Noelle were the carefree sort. They wanted to sell the company, donate most of their wealth, and retire. Romantic if you ask me, too bad they didn’t get that chance."

"But that would mean Gabriel gets nothing." The moment those words left me, it dawned on me. "D-Did Gabriel—!"

Luca slapped a hand on my mouth.

"Yes, Sis," he gritted out. "So do us both a favor and don’t say it out loud."